When you connect to the Internet, you're probably using a form of broadband. Broadband is a high-capacity transmission technique that uses a wide range of frequencies, allowing a large amount of data to be communicated simultaneously. This type of speed is necessary for online activities such as streaming high definition movies, playing games, or sending and receiving large amounts of data.
Let's take a look at a few of the most common residential broadband Internet technologies:
Cable
Cable Internet is a type of broadband connection that transmits data over a cable television network. Cable is faster than DSL, cheaper than fiber, yet it can offer a great balance of speed and affordability. Cable Internet is capable of residential speeds as high as 100 Megabits per second down and as fast as 20Mbits per second up.
DSL
DSL, otherwise known as digital subscriber line, is a typr of broadband connection that uses existing telephone networks to transmit data over regular copper telephone lines.
Most residential DSL is actually asymmetric DSL (known as ADSL), meaning that download speeds can be faster than upload speeds. Less commonly used is symmetric DSL (SDSL), in which download and upload speeds are equal.
Download speeds on residential DSL are usually limited to 40Mbits per second down — though the actual average speeds tend to be much slower.
Fiber
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electrical signal that is modulated to carry information. In recent years, cable and DSL have seen increasing competition from optical fiber systems. Optical fiber is used by many telecommunications companies to transmit telephone signals, data, and cable television signals. Fiber Internet upload and download speeds are up to 100 times faster than cable.
Tell Us How You Connect
What method do you use to connect to the Internet? Do your actual speeds match your Internet Service Provider's claims? We want to hear from you! Please be sure to leave a comment below.
